India Reveals Preliminary Squad for Unity Cup 2026 Ahead of Potential Clash with Super Eagles

On Thursday, May 14, 2026, India’s senior men’s national team head coach Khalid Jamil announced a 28‑member preliminary squad for the Unity Cup 2026, according to aiff.com.

The squad will gather in Bengaluru for a short training camp after the Indian Super League 2025‑26 concludes, before heading to London on May 24 to compete in the tournament.

During the camp, Jamil will evaluate the players and then select a final 23‑man squad to travel to London.

Jamil said: “The Unity Cup will be the perfect opportunity for us to prepare for the official tournaments like the SAFF Championship later this year. We need to utilise every available FIFA International Window to prepare for the tournaments we have up ahead.”

“We have selected the 28 players for the preliminary squad, as per their performances in the ongoing ISL. We will have a couple of days to assess them before we pick the final 23.”

Also Read: Unity Cup: Zimbabwe Unveil Squad For Super Eagles Clash

India, ranked 136th in the FIFA rankings, will face Jamaica, ranked 71st, in the second semi‑final on May 27 at midnight (May 28 in IST). Nigeria’s Super Eagles, ranked 26th, will play Zimbabwe, ranked 130th, in the first semi‑final at the same time. The two losing teams will contest the third‑place play‑off on June 30.

The head coach believes that competing against stronger opposition will benefit the team. “We are playing against strong teams that play at a good level. I think these matches will give a lot of confidence to the players and help us play at that level. We should play more matches like these.”

The Super Eagles are the defending champions of the Unity Cup, having defeated Jamaica on penalties in the 2025 edition in London.